Drug tests

[rupertnegely]

I recently had a urinalysis drug test and was informed that it tested positive for methamphetamine. I had used some type of Vicks inhaler for several days before taking this drug test. When I told them about this they informed me that it had methamphetamine in it. They did a more extensive test called GC-MS and they claim the result shows i am taking a street drug. This is not real as I rarely take any kind of medicine but used this inhaler because of sinus blockage due to recent allergy issues. Do I have any kind of recourse as this has affected my employment? I don’t know what to do and do not understand how this can happen.

[kayaker]

In your shoes, I would lawyer-up.

[Oakminster]

First step would be to pull out your employee handbook, if you have one, and review the drug testing policy. You may have some internal means of appeal. Drug testing laws vary from place to place, so you need to talk to a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction.

[Gary_Robson]

[moderating]
I strongly recommend that you see an attorney or (if you are in a union) your union rep immediately rather than taking advice on something so serious from a group of anonymous faces on a message board.
Although we have lawyers as members, they are not your lawyer and may not even be licensed to practice in your jurisdiction (they also don’t work for free).
I’m leaving the thread open in case anyone has anecdotes that may be of use to you, but I’m moving the discussion from our “General Questions” forum to “In My Humble Opinion.”
[/moderating]

[psychonaut]

@rupertnegely

I recently had a urinalysis drug test and was informed that it tested positive for methamphetamine. I had used some type of Vicks inhaler for several days before taking this drug test. When I told them about this they informed me that it had methamphetamine in it.

Then either you misunderstood what they said, or they are lying to you. No commercially available allergy medications contain methamphetamine. What many do contain is pseudoephedrine, which can cause a false positive for methamphetamine in drug tests.

[chorpler]

@psychonaut

Then either you misunderstood what they said, or they are lying to you. No commercially available allergy medications contain methamphetamine. What many do contain is pseudoephedrine, which can cause a false positive for methamphetamine in drug tests.

Actually, the over-the-counter Vicks inhalers, which look like a tube of chapstick and are inserted into a nostril for inhalation, do contain (as the only active ingredient) methamphetamine. They also contain menthol and some other stuff that makes your nose burn.

However, it’s the left-handed isomer of methamphetamine, which they call “levmetamfetamine” on the label. Like other stimulants (pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, PPA, etc.), this drug causes the swollen sinus tissues to shrink and thus is useful as a decongestant, but it doesn’t cause the same mental stimulant/euphoric effect that the dextro isomer of methamphetamine does. So it’s available OTC. However, it does show up as methamphetamine in cheaper, first-line drug tests, because, heck, it is methamphetamine.

But the more expensive followup tests should be able to tell whether the positive result is from a Vicks inhaler or from illegal drug use. LabCorp says (not sure if the link will work for everyone since I’m on a campus network that has lots of access to databases not available to the public, so I’ll quote the relevant portion):

Q: What is methamphetamine “d” and “l” isomer testing?

A: Methamphetamine is available in two forms: “d” and “l.” These compounds are stereoisomers (chemical mirror images). They have the same chemical formula and similar chemical properties. The “d” form is a prescription stimulant and appetite suppressant. The “l” form is available over-the-counter as the active ingredient of the Vick’s inhaler and is a metabolite of certain prescription medications. Both “d” and “l” test positive by both immunoassay and most GC/MS assays.1

Q: What do the percentages mean in methamphetamine “d” and “l” isomer test results?

A: In order to help determine whether a methamphetamine positive may be due to an illicit source, it is helpful to determine the percentage of “d” isomer. For example, following an individual’s use of Vick’s Vapor Inhaler, the expected result would be 100% “l” methamphetamine. However, there is a possibility that trace amounts of “d” isomer may be present in the quantitative analysis. Laboratory guidelines have been established to allow for trace presence of the “d” isomer. If the laboratory report indicates more than 80% “l” methamphetamine, the results are consistent with Vick’s Vapor Inhaler use. If the laboratory reports more than 20% “d” methamphetamine present, the result indicates the use of “d” methamphetamine other than the inhaler. Illegally produced methamphetamine and amphetamine may contain mixtures of “d” and “l” isomers. LabCorp recommends use of a medical review officer (MRO) to review all non-negative test results.

I wonder if it would be possible for the OP to find out the results of the test and see what the ratio of levorotary to dextrorotary isomers were. An attorney would no doubt be helpful for this and in any case, as Gary “Wombat” Robson noted.